Book Review: Sisterhood of Faith

Good news! Read all about it! Sisterhood of Faith: 365 Life-Changing Stories about Women Who Made a Difference is now available as an E-book.

I am the author of Sisterhood, and to write this book I read about, talked to or e-mailed women from all walks of life. What a privilege to hear of their accomplishments and their struggles. They are a mix of famous and ordinary women, a point my publisher liked.

As Christian women, we need to know our history so we can find our place in the chain of faith that links the generations. We also know need to know that where we see a door close on ministry, God sees a window of opportunity. This book came about after I taught a seminary course on Women in Ministry and found that many of the women in my class felt confused about their calling.

The book includes stories of women such as Patsy Clairmont, who overcame a fear of agoraphobia (fear of public places) to become a nationally known speaker. Vibia Perpetua, an early Christian martyr. Anne Hutchinson, a Bible teacher persecuted in England and America. And Ella Mavretic, a personal friend who has delivered hundreds of pumpkin rolls to the sick or grieving.

The women I wrote about founded ministries, funded ministries and remained faithful no matter what. Arranged alphabetically, their stories include their birthdates, dates of death if deceased and scripture verses that might have informed their actions. I list each woman’s service and draw a message from her life. After telling her story, I challenge the reader to respond.

The book includes a detailed bibliography, in case you want to know more about any of the women. As I am re-reading my own book this year, it motivates me to respond to God’s call on my life, no matter the age, no matter the stage.

Published by Howard Books, a division of Simon & Schuster, Sisterhood of Faith began as a hard cover book, but when those copies sold out, it was published as a trade paperback. And now I am so excited that it is available as an e-book. You can purchase the book from Simon & Schuster, Amazon or order hard copies at www.friendsoftheheart.us.

If you've already purchased the book and enjoyed it, consider leaving a review of it on Amazon.com.

Knitting Family Ties

My sister-in-law Goldie and her family

 How quickly things change. We just celebrated the 90^th birthday of my sister-in-law, Goldie Smeltz. What fun to get reacquainted with nieces and nephews, their children and new spouses from near and far. Now Goldie is in rehab, recuperating from a fall and hip surgery.

I am the youngest of five. And the only one left. I was born “way on behind” as they say in Pennsylvania Dutch. My siblings ranged from eight to 15 years older. At Christmastime, the baby of

Ruth, Marie, Russell, Robert with me on my dad's lap.

the family got gifts from everyone!

I once discovered a tissue-wrapped package in my sister Ruth’s room. I could read the letters on the box—x-y-l-o-p-h-o-n-e—but didn’t know what they spelled. But I could read the name on the tag and couldn’t wait to open my gift. Played that instrument till its glass tubes broke.

Robert, Goldie's husband, was over six feet tall. He swung me up till my head touched the kitchen ceiling and I giggled and squiggled out of his reach. He was also the speedy one. He once rounded the curve going into Herndon, hit ice and landed four wheels on the floor of the roller rink.

Actually, it was Russell who was called “Speedy,” although he never would tell me why. He was the farmer. His hair had a tinge of red, and when he grew a beard for a local bicentennial, his whiskers grew in red. So spiffy.

Ruth and Marie looked gorgeous as they dressed for dates, and in those days—you dressed! Taffetas and heels. Our washbowl was at the back of our kitchen, so I watched them comb out their pin curls, smooth their pompadours and powder their noses. Marie was an artist, and we sat on our bed, her with her drawing board and me copying her drawings on my tablet.

Goldie's children: Craig, Lisa, Janet, Linda, Judy, Todd

Once my siblings married, they all visited our farm on Sunday afternoons. Winters, we cut ice from the creek to make homemade ice cream, topped with my mother’s homegrown frozen strawberries. Summers, they sat on the porch and chatted while their kids explored the attic and barn. In time, my kids joined them. We worried they would hurt themselves, climbing into hay mows, etc., but they all survived.

Family is precious. And through the years, I’ve done all I could to maintain contact with my siblings’ families.

Fifty years ago Bill and I began hosting summer picnics for our clans. We provided the meat and everyone else brought a covered dish. When the numbers of guests climbed into the 30s and the set up and clean up got to be too much, we rented a facility. When I could no longer provide the main dish for the group, we purchased the meat. And we eventually asked the younger generation to take over everything. The picnics continue to this day--on both sides of our family.

Once we got older, since my siblings weren’t much into visiting, I hosted annual dinners at my house for my siblings and spouses.

At Christmastime, I mail cards to each family unit. And I receive cards from most, if not all. We keep

Goldie with Grand/Great Grandkids

up on Facebook too.

Maintaining family contact is important. The world may be against me, but my family loves and supports me, no matter what. We stand by each other’s bedsides during illnesses. We cheer each other on through challenges. And we’re there for each other through personal setbacks.

Yes, it takes deliberate planning and some hard work, especially if knots appear in family ties. But it’s well worth the effort.

 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:34-35 – NIV)

Loving one another begins at home. Thank God for your family, and reach out and touch a family member today. Look for an excuse to plan a family get-together. You’ll be blessed.

Scroll down and click on the link below to leave a comment about what you do to knit family ties.

Sincerely,

Shirley

Upcoming Friends of the Heart Engagements:

June 23, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. – With Wenksville United Methodist Church, Biglerville, for Women’s Retreat, “What Every Girl Needs: Refuge, Redemption, Restoration and a Few Good Recipes.”

Book Review: The Art of Spiritual Writing

Whether you’re new or experienced in writing, this book gives a great overview of the writing process, especially for writing that you hope will spiritually impact readers. For instance, author Vinita Hampton Wright reminds us that while we may think chronology is important, to readers, it’s the theme. We may want to include every detail, but Wright reminds us to evaluate content from the point of what a stranger needs to know.

She explains how the Table of Contents drives sales and how each chapter needs to focus on only one point. Structure is important to readers. She also encourages authors to be authentic, to wrestle with the truth and reflect on it, then to write about it with great care. 

This is a small, short book, only 164 pages. Yet it packs a wallop. If you don’t know what to write about, Wright encourages you to write from who you are, to look for the major themes of your life and what you’ve learned. She suggests that Process, Prayer and Practice lead to Product. “To create a product, find the connection to the largest audience that reasonably can be expected . . . . The point is, know who will be interested in your material, and then work with the material so that it will be most pleasing to that audience.”

I liked her many, practical suggestions and her attention to current opportunities, such as social media. She points out how God has been involved in every detail of our lives and gives us God-given power to change the world. I took many notes for future reference as I read. I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in writing for spiritual impact or really, writing in general.

Nine Reasons the Bible is Important

Dear Friends,

Have you heard California is considering passing a law to make the sale of the Bible illegal because of content related to sexual orientation? To me, that is a frightening thought. Since when do we legislate what people may or may not believe?

A few years ago I heard how some college professors were not to discuss topics that might upset students. At first I thought it was a joke. There are very few issues that don’t upset one person or another. We feel strongly about many issues, and, after all, college is the place to debate and discuss issues. But it was no joke. Talk about putting a damper on free speech!

Now comes an attack on the written Word. If Bibles are forbidden to be sold, how long will it be until just speaking about interpretations of scripture will be prohibited?

The Bible is an important book to Christians. Here’s why:

1. The Bible tells us how life originated and how life will end. Read Genesis and Revelation.

2. The Bible was inspired by the Holy Spirit. Although it consists of 66 books, its message is consistent. Yes, there may be verses we don’t understand. I like Mark Twain’s quote about that: “It ain’t the parts of the Bible I can’t understand that bother me, it’s the parts that I do understand.”

3. The Bible tells us what God is like. He’s a God of love and, yes, He’s a God of judgment. He is with us at all times, in all places. He comforts us, sustains us, provides for us, protects us. He is kind and wise.  We want to know our God better, and we meet Him on the pages of scripture.

4. The Bible prepares us for eternity by introducing us to Jesus, our Savior.

5. The Bible informs us of good and evil. There are moral absolutes. We teach the Ten Commandments to our children.

6. The Bible offers sound advice. Read Proverbs to learn how a young man (or woman) may develop character. Billy Graham read one of the 31 chapters each day of the month. Proverbs should be required reading for teenagers.

7. The Bible prevents us from sinning. If we follow its guidelines regarding right and wrong, life goes better for us. It’s not a barrier to keep us from things we enjoy but a fence to protect us from harm.

8. The Bible includes God’s promises. Read Romans 8:28-29 to learn how God promises that all things will work together for good in the life of a Christian.

9. The Bible was the first book printed mechanically, and more than 13,000 manuscripts of portions of the New Testament exist. It is the world’s best-seller.

I have spent a great deal of time meditating on scripture as I’ve memorized it. And I don’t regret a minute of it. And if ever my state passes a law forbidding the sale of a Bible, I will have a stash of content to fall back on. I encourage you to memorize for the same reason.

Who knows whether illness or persecution will ever prevent you from physically handling a Bible? Having scripture in mind means you always have it with you. And you can always share it with others. This past weekend, I shared John, chapters 1 to 4, with women at a retreat, and they told me they heard things they never noticed by reading scripture. I’ve also memorized Philippians and the book of Ruth.

You can find a video of me presenting the book of Ruth on YouTube. Just copy and paste this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DbVqp5moDcI&t=131s.

Please memorize God’s Word so that no one can ever legislate it away from you.

“Your word is a lamp to my feet, a light on my path.” Psalm 119:105 (NIV)

Sincerely,

Shirley

Upcoming Engagements for Friends of the Heart:

May 14, 6:30 p.m. – Mother/Daughter Banquet, Himmel’s Church, Dornsife, “That Face in the Mirror: Who Do You See?”

May 19 – PowerSurge Women’s Conference, University of Pittsburgh Bradford Campus, “Tea with Mary, Martha and Their Psychologist,” Conference Theme: “It Is Well: Mind, Body, Soul.”

You Can't Plant Peas and Grow Watermelons

Dear Friends,

It’s a funny thing. We want certain results in this world, but we too often fail to make proper preparation.

A farm girl, I learned to garden. Fortunately, I had two brothers, so my sisters and I rarely worked in the fields. But gardening required the attention of womenfolk.

First you plowed the ground. Well, that was done by the men. Our old John Deere chugged back and forth as the plow blade peeled back rows of soil. Then we raked lumpy furrows smooth in preparation for planting.

Next we dug holes to plant potatoes and dragged hoe prongs to create shallow ditches to sow rows of teeny tiny lettuce and carrot seeds. Tomatoes. Onions. Beans. Peas. Eggplant. We planted them all. Then we watered and waited. If insects attacked, we sprinkled leaves with lime to ward off invaders.

As plants grew, we weeded and hoed to allow water to seep down and seedlings to pop up. This went on until plants matured and grew big enough to produce. Lettuce was first to be harvested, then spring onions. One by one, vegetables were picked and eaten, jarred or frozen. We enjoyed them year-round, thanks to my mother’s hard work.

Well, so it is with raising a family. If we want children to grow into honest, spiritual, faithful, hard-working adults, we must make necessary preparations.

First of all, we birth them and nourish them with milk, then soft foods and finally they sprout teeth for chewing. We appropriately train them to brush those teeth and eat those veggies so their bodies grow straight and strong. When the bugs of sickness invade, we take them to doctors for medicine.

We water them every time we demonstrate honesty when given too much change. We give to Caesar (the IRS) what is due so they learn to be responsible citizens. We take them to Sunday school and church; we don’t send them.

Some parents want their children to develop their own spirituality, and of course they will. But that’s like throwing seeds out the window and expecting a harvest. If a parent expects to raise godly children who share their spiritual values, it requires weeding out bad influences—“No, you can’t see R-rated movies”--and fertilizing their growth with good influences—round table discussions about God and country, faith and family, neighbors and classmates.

Raising godly children requires attention to their growth—mental, social, emotional and spiritual. It requires those uncomfortable moments of discipline. It requires demanding respect and commanding behavior. The children will not always be happy, but they will grow to a healthier maturity for it.

Now I do understand that just as a drought or a storm can devastate a garden, other factors over which we have no control can have a major impact on our hard work as parents and grandparents. But I simply want to encourage you to put the time and effort into child rearing—or whatever other endeavor you undertake—to the best of your ability. Then leave the results in God’s hands.

If you want to eat peas, plant peas. If you want to eat watermelons, plant watermelon seeds. If you want children to turn into responsible adults, plant seeds of faith and integrity. Children must be carefully taught. It requires time and patience, love and discipline. But like a fruitful harvest, the end product will bless your soul.

“First plant your fields; then build your barn.” Proverbs 24:27 (The Message)

Here's a link I just came across that reinforces my post: http://www.intellectualtakeout.org/blog/physician-american-children-immersed-culture-disrespect

Have a blessed Easter as you ponder spring planting.

Shirley

Upcoming Engagements for Friends of the Heart:

April 14, 9:30 a.m. to 3:50 p.m. - Faithlift Women's Conference, Pittsfield, Massachusetts, "What Every Girl Needs: Refuge, Redemption, Restoration and a Few Good Recipes.

April 21, 9 a.m. - Ladies Brunch, Aldersgate United Methodist Church, Mechanicsburg, "If Our Closets Could Talk."

April 27-29 - Women's Retreat, Best Western Lewisburg, Richfield Life Ministries Church Conference, ""If Our Closets Could Talk."